Automatic switch.



' APPLICATION FILED OCTI 19' l9l8. U 19301 1000 E. L. BURTON. AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

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Patented Apr. 22, I919.

E. L. BURTON.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

APPUCATION HLED OCT. 19. ms.

Patent-ed Apr. 22, 1919.

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E. L. BURTON.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION HLED ocr.19, I918.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

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out of order,

after ELISHA L; BURTON, on VTHEALKA, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO CHRISTIAN V c. HENKEL, or PAINTSVILLE, KENTUCKY.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ELISHA L. BURroN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Thealka, in the county of Johnson and State of Kentucky, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Automatic Switches,

of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved automatic switch, and has for its primary object to provide switch actuating means pr1- marily designed for mine railways, whereby the switch is automatically operated by trip means on the mine car locomotive so that the locomotive will be directed upon the side track while the loaded cars will continue to travel upon the graded track leading to the car tipple.

It is also another object of my invention to provide an automatic switch operating mechanism which, after the switch has been closed by one locomotive, will discharge the loaded cars hauled thereby to the tipple and subsequently be successively actuated by a second locomotive operating upon the track to shunt the latter upon the side track and then close the main track for the loaded cars.

It is also another object of my invention to provide an automatic switch operating mechanism as above characterized which consists of relatively few parts that may be readily installed in mine railway systems now in common use without necessitating any radical alterations therein. 7

It is also one of the detail bjects of the invention to provide means for insuring the full throw of the switch points and to guard against the possibility of accidental or casual shifting movement of the points.

And it is a further general object of the invention to provide a switch throwing mechanism, the several parts of which are very'durably constructed, not liable to get and which will be efiicient and reliable in practical operation.

With the above and other objects in view, theinvention consists in the improved construction, combination and relative arrangement of the several parts as will be herein- "more fully described, subsequently claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in'which similar reference charac- Specification of Letters Patent.

' said bearing members.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

Application filed October 19, 1918. Serial No. 258,865.

ters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the relative positions of the parts when the main track for the loaded cars is open; I

F1g. 2 is a plan view'showing the mechanism after it has been actuated by the trip device on the locomotive, the main track being closed;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 isan enlarged elevation of certain parts of the mechanism; and a Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the trip device.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 designates the main track which is properly graded and over which the loaded cars travel to the car tipple where the contents of the track upon which the empty cars are returned, and 7 the movable switch points. These switch points are connected'by the bar 8 extending between adjacent supporting ties and are adapted to be actuated by my im proved mechanism, to be later described in detail, whereby the mine car locomotive may be automatically shunted from the main track upon the side track, while the loaded cars pass on over the main track to the tipple.

At one side of the track, spaced bearing members 10 are suitably secured upon the rail ties, and a rock shaft 11 is mounted in This shaft at its opposite ends is formed with the crank arms 12 and 13- respectively which extend substantially at right angles relative to each other. Upon a bolt 14 fixed in the upper end of one of the bearing members 10, the trip device 15 is ivotally mounted, said device having arms 16 and 17 which extend substantially at right angles to each other. At one side of thepivot 14, this trip device is connected by means of the link 18 to the arm 12 of the rock shaft. A rod 19 is disposed in parallel relationto' the trip device 15 on one side thereof and is fixed at its ends thereto. One end of a coils ring 20 is F At a point in spaced relation to the shaft '11.

trip device, a standard 21 is mounted, and upon a horizontally disposed bar 22, fixed at one of its ends to said'standard, the rock shaft 23 is mounted. This shaft is'providedupon one end-with a crankarm 24 and also has a crank 25 formed 011 1178 opposite end. This latter crank is connected by a link 26 to the bar 8 which connectsthemovable switch points to each other upon one end of a bolt 27 which is mounted in the upper end of the standard2l, an arm 28 is engaged, said arm being fixed to 'a metal strap 29 which is securedto a lever 30, said lever being mounted upon the opposite end of the bolt 27. One endof the arm 28- is connected by a link bar 31 to the crankarm 24E of the shaft 23 and the lower end ofthe lever 30 is operatively connected by a rod 32 to the crank arm 13'on one end of the rock shaft 11.

The lever 30 is also connected by means of a rod 33 to a crank arm 35 on one end of a rock shaft 34:, which is mounted in spaced bearing standards 36. To the-other end of the rock shaft34, an arm 37 is fixed and is operatively connected by the link 38 to a trip member 39 which is pivoted, as at 40, upon the upper end of one of the-standards 3,6.

In the operation of the mechanism as above described, assuming that the switch points are in the positions shown in Fig. 1 so that the locomotive hauling the cars may move from the main track upon the sidetrack 6, when the rear wheels of the locomotive have passed the switch points,- a tappet rod or trip member 11 which, is mounted for sliding movement in a sleeve 12 fixed. upon -the rear end of the locomotive, strikes the arm 17 of the trip device 15 and oscillates said device upon its pivot 14 from'the-position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. In the movement of-the trip device to the latter position, the shaft 11 is rocked and through the medium of the rod 32, lever 30, and the connection between said lever. andthe shaft 23, said shaft is rotated and the link bar 26 moved tothrow the switch points to theposition seen in Fig. '2. The loaded cars which have been uncoupled, from the locomotivemay thus continue their movement upon the'rmain track to, the tipple where the contents-of thecars are discharged. When the trip device 15 is actuated as above explained, .the end'of the spring 20 slides freely. on the-rod 19 to the opposite end ofsaid'rod and, assumes an angular position .uponthe relatively opposite side. of the shaft 11 from that shown in Fig. 1, so that they trip member. is held against the possibility: of casual or accidental rockingmovementnpon its pivot. The spring 20v thus effectively serves to maintain the switch points in the positions .to ,wh1ch ,.they ,have beenmoved After the locomotive has been coupled to the empty cars returned on the track 6, in-its reverse movement, the tappet member .41 first strikes the arm 16 of the trip member be fore the 7 wheelsreach tlie switch'--points. Thus, the movement of said trip member is reversed and the switch points again movedtot-he position seen in Fig. 1' so that the member 39 and return the parts of the mechanism andthe switch pointsto theposition seen inFig. 1 and after moving upon the side track, said tappet member willthen strike the arm 17 of the trip member 15 andwmove the switch points to againv close the main track as above explained.

From the foregoing. description, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, manner of operation and several advantages of my improved automatic switclimechanism will be clearly and fully understood. I have .found thedevice in. practical use to be highly efficient and reliable in its operation, particularly in connection withmine track systems It is apparent, however, that withce-rtain obvious mechanicalmodifications, the mechanism is likewise applicable to ordinary railroadstrack systems. The device is almost instantaneous in its action so thatevenlwhen the locomotive is traveling at veryv high speed, the full throw of the: sw-itchpoints is assured. Ofcourse, when occasion requires, the mechanism may bemanually operated by simply shifting the lever 3i0. In

case only a singlehaulingf locomotive is to be used upon the track, the'trip member 39 and its connectionswith th e'lever-may be removed- When'necessary, theseparts can be easily and quickly arrangedinoperative position at'the sideof the track and connected to the operating lever V V V I have herein disclosed whatI haverfound to be a very satisfactory and reliableform,

construction andarrangement of the several parts but it is to be understoo'dwthat the mechanism. is. susceptible of many modifications therein and I, accordingly, reserve the privilege of resortingto allsucli-legitimate. changes as-may. be, fairly. embodied within the spirit and scope ofthe-invention as claimed. V

I claim:

1. In combination with mOVablesWitCh points, actuating mechanism therefor. in-

cludinga pivotally,monntedytripping member, adapted to be engaged "and actuatedlby means on a locomotive, .m'eans op e'ra'tively connecting the tripping member to the movable switch points, and means for yieldingly holding the tripping member against casual pivotal movement including a transversely extending rod mounted upon the tripping member, and a contractile spring fixed at its lower end and at its upper end slidingly engaged with said rod.

2. In combination with movable switch points, actuating mechanism therefor including a pivotally mounted trip member adapted to be engaged and actuated by means on a locomotive, a rock shaft, means operatively connecting the rock shaft to the movable switch points, connecting means between the rock shaft and said trip memher, and a spring to yieldingly hold the trip member against pivotal movement in each direction and having a shiftable connection at one of its ends with said trip member.

3. In combination with movable switch points, actuating mechanism therefor including a pivotally mounted trip member, a rock shaft, an operative connection between the rock shaft and the trip member, a manually operable lever, means operatively connecting the lever to said rock shaft, a second rock shaft, connecting means between one end of the latter rock shaft and the switch points, and an operative connection between the other end of said shaft and said lever.

4:. In combination with movable switch points, automatic operating means therefor including spaced trip members adapted to be engaged and actuated by means on a locomotive, one of said trip members having spaced parts for engagement by said means in the movement of the locomotive in either direction, a rock shaft arranged between the trip members, an operative connection between the rock shaft and the switch points, and means operatively connecting each of the trip members to said rock shaft.

5. In combination with movable switch points, automatic operating means therefor including spaced trip members adapted to be engaged and actuated by means on a locomotive, one of said trip members having spaced parts for engagement by said means in the movement of the locomotive in either direction, a rock shaft arranged between the trip members, an operative connection between the rock shaft and the switch points, means operativelv connecting each of the trip members to said rock shaft, and means connected to one of said trip members to yieldingly hold the same against pivotal movement and thereby retain the switch points in the positions to which they have been moved.

6. In combination with movable switch points, actuating mechanism therefor including a pivotally mounted trip member, a rock shaft, means operatively connecting one end of the rock shaft to the switch points, operating connections between the .other end of said shaft and the trip member, a rod fixed to one side of the trip member and extending upon each side of its pivot, and a coil spring having a shiftable connection at one of its ends to said rod to hold thetrip member against casual pivotal movement and retain the switch points in the positions to which they have been moved.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ELISI-IA L. BURTON. Witnesses:

.STERLING C. Bron, GUY W. PRESTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

